Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1887-01-15
CAiNA'S CAPITAL.
Some OF the Strange Sights to be Seen in
the Streets of pfiSiR-

Some of the Strange sights to be Seen in |
the Streets of PfiSin-
From the walls the city of Pekin .
looks its best, in fact quite different
from what it really is. There Hou are
too far away to see the filthy streets.
the many dogs which 20 about with
torn ears. the pools of sta@nant water,
and all the unpleasant sights which 1t
is impossible to avoid on closer insrec-
ton. You only see here the fine trees
planted in the court-yards of all the
| better houses and in the open spaces Oh
! the Tartar city. The quaint gate towers,
the fine cathedrals, and the dark back
| Ground of the western hills, behind
which the great red san dips snddCnly.
leaving the cloud'ess sky still compar'
ativ.lv clear and bright notwjth-tand.
| inc his absence. The walls are sixty or
seventy feet high. ending in a crenulat
ed parapet. and are rs broad rs an aver
age carriage-way. They are, however
| SO ovcrmroWn with bramblc thatin some
! places it j. difficult for two people to
walk abreast OF them. The gates are
numerous. and beside each 4 small
wicket is placed, through which You
pass to get on the top of the walls.
Over the cate i the tower shaped
like three or four Immense pigeon
boxes placed one upon the other, and
each smaller than the one below 1t.
Thcso are rooted with the peculiar Chi
ncse tiles snch rs may be observed in
pictures: loug closcd-up pipes alternate
with horizontally ribbed tile, aud look
+ extremely picturesque. The roads out
> side Pckin are bad. Inside matters are
! still worse. IL addition to all the
= miscrics usually attendant on crowded
= thOroughfarc-, one gets jumbied
: up among iuuUmcrab}c camels ponies,
! carts and like iInpedimcnts TO prog
= ress. all OF which seem bound foI
t some place in an opposite direction t'
: which You are going. \ Pekin cart ii
: | something to be experienced, and no
:. merely described, if justice be done t.
: it. It is drawn by Il most respectable
= mule, directed by a not very respectable
8 driver. The archcd roof is covered
+ with dark blue cotton. except in rain.
|. weather, when oil cloth is used. 1t
!. doubtless unnecessary to say tina
d springs are conspicuous by their al
o seneca remark which would appl
10 ing resources of civilization in the cit.
l. 4 thin, hard mat is spread on the foo
=. and on this you squat as best you CA
l. I tried tailor fashion, but afterwaI
le found it better TO sit quite across Il
er cart. with my back propped up again
one side. The attitude is not We
mt comfortable, and I have not hea,
- that it is considered graceful, br
h all things considered, it is perhaps t
it. least Objectionable position. Its dra'
in backs are experienced when rut
c- foot deep is crossed. or when one OF t
he flags with which some of the streets a
ce paved is missing. Two or three feet o,
drop is nothing to the mule OF
cir driver, but to the barbarian inside II
de inconvenient. The awning extends II
nd ward so far as the mule's head, and p1
re- tects you from the fierce rays OF
a sun. When the road is bad the driN
NO walks, and when it is good-that
NV when it is not excessively bad-he ht
DIS, up in front, and shuts you up in V
of table oven.--IlIteri0r.
na-
IN San Francisco boys stole the T.
md of the new City Hall, which is OF ID